


the monsters gone, he's on the run

by londonsmoke



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:48:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26909167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/londonsmoke/pseuds/londonsmoke
Summary: “Please-” Harry croaks, struggling against the man’s firm grasp as he pushes him into the solid brick wall. He’d been walking to Louis’ house, his hoodie yanked over his head to hide his face in an unsuccessful effort to avoid this exact situation.“You’re a fag,” the man spat, his saliva landing on Harry’s face and mingling with the tears already surging down his cheeks. “It’s fucking repulsive.”: The last insult Harry catches before the man’s callused knuckles collide with his cheekbone. He let go of Harry after that, causing him to slump down onto the littered ground of the dim alleyway.-or: harry is in the wrong place at the wrong time, louis is his shelter.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Kudos: 34





	the monsters gone, he's on the run

“Please-” Harry croaks, struggling against the man’s firm grasp as he pushes him into the solid brick wall. He’d been walking to Louis’ house, his hoodie yanked over his head to hide his face in an unsuccessful effort to avoid this exact situation.

“You’re a fag,” the man spat, his saliva landing on Harry’s face and mingling with the tears already surging down his cheeks. “It’s fucking repulsive.”: The last insult Harry catches before the man’s callused knuckles collide with his cheekbone. He let go of Harry after that, causing him to slump down onto the littered ground of the dim alleyway.

Harry only watches as the man lets out a bark of laughter, not being able to hear him over the deafening sound of his blood rushing to his head. He leaves Harry alone after that, landing one final kick onto his ribs. He lies there curled into himself on his side, hoping, praying he’ll have the strength to make it to the safety of Louis’ arms. He slips his eye’s closed, only being able to focus on the blood dripping down the side of his face, settling in a small puddle on the dirty ground. Louis will be wondering what’s taking him so long.

Unsure of how much time has passed, Harry moves to sit up. The pain now down to a steady throb as nausea floods his perception, replacing any coherent thought he had prior. He keeps his eyes closed, willing the nausea to subside enough so that he’s able to stand on trembling limbs. He takes uncertain steps, one foot in front of the other, moving in the direction towards Louis’ house.  _ Louis,  _ Harry thinks, a sob clawing it’s way up his throat.

He breaks off into a run, his tattered sneakers pounding into the pavement below him, pain searing through his body, but he doesn’t stop. The wind rips through his hair, the cold air bites at his exposed skin, he never stops running. Not until he makes it into Louis’ neighbourhood. He slows once he reaches the driveway, noticing the usual absence of Jay’s car as she works nights at the hospital. 

His breath comes out in heavy puffs of air as he reaches for the knob of the front door. Pushing it open with a creak, Louis left it unlocked for him. Careful not to wake any of Louis’ sisters, he makes his way tentatively towards his bedroom. Sucking in a breath, he knocks softly on Louis’ bedroom door. 

“Harry?” Louis calls out from behind the closed door, his quiet footsteps audible as he moves towards it. He opens the door slowly, taking in Harry’s wounded appearance with fear painted onto his soft features. His caramel fringe tousled across his forehead, his pajamas rumpled as low music spills out of his room into the dark hallway.

“ _ Lou, _ ” Harry chokes out over the lump in his throat, promptly falling into Louis’ open arms. Hiding his face in the crook of his neck, tears he didn’t know he’d been holding in wetting Louis’ t-shirt.

  
  
  


“Oh Harry,” Louis breathes, “What-, what happened?” he asks as Harry holds onto Louis’ shirt as if its the only thing tethering him to reality, the threadbare material wrinkling under his vice-like grip. Harry tries unsuccessfully to stutter out an explanation between sobs. “C’mere, sit down with me love,” he says, guiding Harry to the edge of his bed with a hand placed gently on his lower back. Harrys falling back into Louis’ side as soon as he sits down next to him, wincing at the pain in his ribs.

“Shh, you’re alright now. You’re safe here, Haz.” Louis whispers into Harry’s hair, carding his fingers through it and soothingly scratching his dull nails over Harry’s scalp until his throaty sobs lull. “D’you wanna tell me what happened now?” Louis murmurs after kissing his temple.

Harry picks his head up off Louis’ shoulder and looks into his concerned eyes, nodding slightly and sniffling. He recounts to Louis the story exactly how it happened, saying how he shouldn’t have taken the shorter route just to get to Louis’ house faster, never would’ve run into that man if he hadn’t. 

(Louis disagrees with him, saying he would’ve never had to worry about getting hurt in the first place if people weren’t so  _ bloody homophobic. _ Harry had giggled at that.  _ Hey,  _ Louis swatted at his arm  _ Don’t laugh at me!  _ Louis said, trying not to crack a smile unsuccessfully.  _ It’s cute when you get angry, your eyebrow gets twitchy.  _ Harry squeaked back. Louis huffed, defeated but soon breaking into a laugh at Harry’s amused expression.

When Louis threatened to kill the man who hurt Harry, Harry pleaded with him. Eventually agreeing that if Louis got to take care of him until he recovered he would keep his hands to himself.  _ I’m not even that badly injured,  _ Harry playfully argued.  _ There’s dried blood all down the side of your face, I think that counts as badly injured.  _ Louis challenged. Harry just rolled his eyes fondly and went with it.)

-

Louis pulled Harry to the bathroom after that, ushering him to sit on the counter while he cleaned the wound on his face. Harry flinched away from the cold, stinging, hydrogen peroxide Louis dabbed onto his cheek.

Putting his other hand behind Harry’s head, Louis guided his face back towards him. “M’sorry love, I know it hurts.” Louis murmured, afterward putting a plaster over the spot where Harry’s skin had broken from the punch. “I’ll have my mum take a look at your ribs tomorrow.” He gave him two paracetamol to help with the pain, grabbing a glass of water for Harry to drink.

-

Laying down onto Louis’ bed, Harry rests his head onto Louis’ chest, letting the steady thud of his heart lull him to serenity. The music Louis had on earlier is still playing, and Louis hums along to the first few notes of  _ Beautiful Boy  _ by John Lennon while petting Harry’s hair slowly.

“Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy,” he sings to Harry softly, his raspy singing voice pulling Harry into a contented sleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> ik this is really really short but tysm for reading! pls leave kudos & feedback if you enjoyed it <3 
> 
> tumblr - visionsgideons


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